William mason



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

YVILLIAM MASON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNEOTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WIN- CHESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

REDUClNG-DIE FOR CARTRIDGE-CASES.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,'760, dated November 3, 1896.

. Serial No. 595,580. (No model.)

To roll whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MASON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Reducing-Dies for Large Cartridge-Cases, fully set forth and described in the following specification, taken in connection with the drawings which form a part thereof, and of which- Figu re 1 represents a side elevation of .a die enbodying my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical central section of the die; Fig. 3, a top View of one of the inner rings of said die; Figs. 4 and 5, elevations of the top and bottom inner rings, respectively; Fig. 6, an elevation of the top nut.

In all the figures similar letters of reference represent like parts.

This invention relates to dies for reducing Cartridge-cases of large dimensions to tapering forms and for similar purposes. Dies of this character consist of 'tubular bodies into which the Cartridge-case is forced in a hydraulic press or by any other means where the requisite force can be obtained. As it is impracticable to make a tubular die of such di mensions as are required for large Cartridgecases in a single piece, to suitably harden it throughout, at the same time avoiding any change of form in the hardening process that would render the piece useless, or to grind the interior to the proper nicety after hardening, the object of this invention is the Construction of a die in several parts, each of which may be separately hardened and ground, as desired.

To this end the invention consists in a die the inner portion of which is formed of a series of rings built up one above the other surrounded by a casing, to which they are secured, as shown hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings for a more particular description, A represents a section of 45 the hydraulic press to which the die is attached and by which it is operated. A castiron connection B consists of a hollow cylinder with annular fianges b at both ends. The

fianges b, by means of bolts or screws b', are

Secured tothe press A and the casing O of 5o the die. 4

The tubular casing O, of cast-iron, has on its lower end an annular fiange c, corresponding to the iange on the upper end of the connection B, for the bolts b'. The internal axial 5 5 bore of the casing C is somewhat greater in diameter near the ends than in the center, and in these enlarged parts the casing is internally threaded, as shown at c' and 0 XVithin the casing C is a series of hollow rings of tool steel, each of such thinness that it may be hardened throughout and of such depth that it may be ground to a nicety. Each of the rings D is adapted to be hardened and ground before the parts are assembled, so that when placed in position in the tubular casing all will be in a perfect axial line one with another. The bore of each ring is slightly tapered and each. ring is of slightly less diameter than the ring above, so that when the rings are in position there will be a slight taper from one end. of the die toward the other. By this Construction of the die in several parts each part may be hardened separately and accurately ground to fit together, and any one part may be easily removed and replaced by another.

Evidently the casing C holds the rings against transverse movement; but a further connection is shown by which the rings are So secured to the casing, and therebyto the press, by means of nuts E and E'.

The uppermost and lowernost rings D' and D are provided with annular fianges d' and c (1 Figs. 2, 4, and 5, of greater diameter than that of the central portion of the bore of the casing O. Nuts E and E', threaded externally-to fit the internal threading c' and 0 of the casing, are hollowed aXially to surround the rings D' and D When the nuts E and 0 E' are screwed into the casing, their inner ends abut against the fianges d' and (l on the rings D' and D and force the rings securely together. The upper nnt E, Fig. 6, has a fiange e at its upper end which is adapted to rest on the upper end of the casing C, as shown in Fig. 2.

I do not limit my invention .to the exact method described above forsecuring the rings together and to the casing, as these parts may be locked laterally by steps or dowels and held together by screws or bolts from end to end of the die.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A die for reducing Cartridge-cases to tapering form, consisting of a series of steel rings hardened separately built up one above another the lower edge of one resting on the upper edge of the one below and Secured together, to forn a continuous tapering tube, substantially as described.

2. A die for reducing Cartridge-cases to tapering form, consisting of a series of steel rings hardened separately built up one above another, the lower edge of one resting 011 the upper edge of the one below to form a continuous tapering tube, and surrounded by a tubular casing, substantially as described.

3. A reducing-die for Cartridge-cases consistin g of a series of hardened steel rings built up one above another; a tubular casing surrounding said rings; and nuts at both ends 'of said casing, adapted to be seeured to said casi ng and hold said rings in contact With each other, substantially as described.

4:. A reducing-die for Cartridge-cases consisting of a series of hardened steel rings built up one above another, the uppermost and lowermost rings being provided With annular fianges; a tubular casing surrounding said rings, and adapted to be connected to the press; and nuts hollowed axially, adapted to be Secured to the ends of said casing, surrounding said uppermost and lowermost rings and bearing against the flanges thereof, substantially as described.

In Wtness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at NeW Haven, in the county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, this 11th day of June, 1896.

XVILLIAM MASON. lVitnesses:

DANIEL H. VEADER, CHARLES I. SHEPARD. 

